Religion in Japan manifests primarily in Shinto and in Buddhism, the two main faiths, which Japanese people often practice simultaneously. According to estimates, as many as 80% of the populace follow Shinto rituals to some degree, worshiping ancestors and spirits at domestic altars and public shrines.

For centuries Japan has operated a syncretic belief system: Shinto and Buddhist rituals coexist side-by-side with increasing influence from other religions. For centuries Japan has operated a syncretic belief system: Shinto and Buddhist rituals coexist side-by-side with increasing influence from other religions.

In ancient times, the Japanese believed that all natural phenomena, animals, and plants possesed kami, or divine power. Shinto and Buddhism have both become important parts of daily Japanese life.

Statistics show that 66.8% of Japanese people are Buddhist, 1.5% are Christian and 7.1% belong to another religion. However, an overwhelming number of Japanese people (79.2%) also believe in Shintoism, often in conjunction with another religion (such as Buddhism).

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution (日本国憲法第9条, Nihonkokukenpō dai kyū-jō) is a clause in the national Constitution of Japan outlawing war as a means to settle international disputes involving the state. The article also states that, to accomplish these aims, armed forces with war potential will not be maintained.

Japan is certainly fertile ground for religious cults, sects and the like. Most Japanese I know say they do not believe in a deity or profess to follow any religion. Yet they go in droves to shrines during O-bon and New Year.

Although its origins are obscure, Shinto helped forge national and political unity by emphasizing Japan’s divine beginnings through myths and legends. As a direct descendent of the sun goddess, the emperor became a Living God who was to be worshiped along with his all-illuminating divine ancestor.

Religion Diversity comes into play in their religious differences as well. China is officially an atheist country and many Han Chinese people don’t actually believe in religion. On the other hand, Japan’s native religion is Shinto, which values kami or sacred essence that exist everywhere in the human nature.

In the 8th century Buddhism was adopted as the national religion, and national and provincial temples, nunneries, and monasteries were built throughout the country. The Tendai (Tiantai) and Shingon sects were founded in the early 9th century, and they have continued to exert profound influence in some parts of Japan.

Generally speaking, Japanese believe in the existence of the life after death. Most of them believe there is another life after death. It is natural for bereaved families to think the deceased will have a tough time in another world if they lost their body parts such as limbs or eyes.

Traditional Japanese attitudes towards death include a belief in the afterlife. Throughout the history of Japanese culture, people have traditionally believed that when a person dies, their soul lives on in the land of the dead. They could appear as ghosts or spirits when the world of the dead overlaps with our own.

In Japanese culture, dying may be perceived as something that cannot be controlled and is something that just is. Those in the process of dying may request that their adult children make end-of-life arrangements and decisions for them, and may prefer that the eldest son does so if his parents are unable to.

This is the only time in Japan when it is proper for two people to hold the same item at the same time with chopsticks. At all other times, two people holding anything with chopsticks at the same time will remind everyone of the funeral of a close relative causing everyone to break down and cry for hours on end.

After the Cremation The family of the deceased will be in a period of mourning for 49 days after the funeral. Once a week they will visit the grave to place fresh flowers and to burn incense. During these 49 days, the family cannot participate in any form of celebration or entertainment.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Shinigami (死神, literally “death god” or “death spirit”) are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture.

死 (shi) means “death,” and consists of two parts. The top and left line represents a bone and the left side represents a person who is upside down in the ground. It indicates death of the person. Many of us may not want to think about death.

shinu

Sakenomi. More Japanese words for bringer. ブリンガー Buringā bringer.

Latin translation: mortifer/letifer.

晴れ男 (hare otoko) 晴れ女 (hare onna) A man/woman who brings the sun to the place. Whenever you have an event with them, the weather is good.

Ameonna ( 雨 あめ 女 おんな , “rain woman”) is a Japanese yōkai thought to call forth rain, illustrated in Toriyama Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi as a woman standing in the rain and licking her hand.

shi-shi n. urine or urination. Also make shi-shi or go shi-shi ‘to urinate.’ Editorial Note: Reduplicated shi, from the Japanese shiko ‘urine.’ Also imitative of the sound of streaming water.

お前 (Omae) is the Japanese word for “you” that is considered very rude.

If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it is rude. So it’s better to use name plus san. You might already have known that Japanese people often leave out ‘watashi’, because you say, for example, “Hiroko desu.” to mean ‘I’m Hiroko.” We leave out “watashi” when it’s obvious.

お前/omae is downright insulting (and indeed, can be used when you actually mean to insult someone), unless used to address someone you have a really intimate relationship with (e.g. best friends, husband to wife) where it can be considered affectionate.

Oi – オイ – This is a highly informal way in the Japanese culture to get someone’s attention. A lot like the English version of, “Hey!” – But even less polite.